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Julian Wooster:

Director of Children and Young People’s Futures

Julian Wooster
Julian Wooster: Director of Children and Young People’s Futures

Role and responsibilities

The job of the Director of Children and Young People’s Futures is to lead systems and partnerships to improve outcomes for children in Devon and especially to improve the outcomes for vulnerable children. Vulnerable children include:

  • children in care, care leavers and adopted or special guardianship children
  • children subject of a protection plan or a child in need plan
  • children who need early help to prevent problems emerging or getting worse
  • disabled children and those with special educational needs
  • children who struggle in school for whatever reason
  • children excluded from school
  • children whose life chances are undermined by poverty, race, sexual preference or other equalities issues
  • children with health problems (emotional, mental, physical and sexual)

Biography

Julian grew up in West London. He has always had an interest in strengthening disadvantaged communities and his first degree was in urban planning. He joined the social work profession after volunteering in a drugs crisis rehab centre, starting as a social work assistant. He has been involved in the social work profession for 34 years.

He says that his toughest social work job was in the East End of London well before the redevelopment. He recalls the level of material poverty and violence: “the friendly East End by then no longer existed”. This was before the profession became specialist, so Julian worked with all need groups including carrying out mental health assessments: “my favourite role was that of a frontline team manager, where I learnt most about team work and about how I can support others by changing my approach”.

Julian has extensive senior managerial experience, 10 years a Director of Children’s Services in Somerset and Portsmouth, 8 years as deputy director in Hillingdon and Wandsworth and 3 years leading Cambridgeshire’s social work teams.

On a personal level he has three adult children and reflecting how families have become more dispersed his eldest son and grandchildren are permanently resident in the USA, his daughter is in Liverpool and he has a brother in New Zealand. He relaxes by enjoying the natural environment, including through photography and sailing in Portland.

Julian’s direct reports are:

  • Becky Hopkins

    Head of Children’s Social Care (Deputy Chief Officer)

  • Steve Liddicott

    Interim Head of Children’s Health and Wellbeing (Deputy Chief Officer)

  • Jassi Broadmeadow

    Deputy Director – Children’s Services and Head of Social Care


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